1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing lures. More specifically, the invention is a spinnerbait type of fishing lure having a pair of spinner blades disposed in an arrangement to increase the lure's ability to attract fish by improved sound, vibration, and action of the bait.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spinnerbait fishing lures have gained great popularity among sport fishermen. Spinnerbait lures are highly versatile, and are useful to catch a wide variety of fish in numerous different situations. Common to all types of spinnerbait lures is the use of one or more spinner blades that create vibrations and flashes of light to attract the attention of fish as the lure is pulled through the water. Some spinnerbaits have also employed sound, incorporating various devices to generate noises as the lure moves in order to attract fish. It is typical for a spinnerbait to have a weighted body, often with a skirt of strings, foil strips, strips of rubber or plastic, or other material trailing from the weighted body. The general movement, or “action”, of the weighted body and skirt along with the spinner blades and other parts of the lure contributes to induce fish to strike the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,000, issued on Dec. 5, 2000 to G. Ravencroft, illustrates the most typical configuration of a spinnerbait lure. A single spinner blade is held above the lure's weighted body and skirt by a “V” shaped wire harness. Rather than a conventional spinner blade, however, the lure uses a rattle body having a shape similar to familiar spinner blades but with a hollow interior containing metal shot or other material in rattle chambers. While conventional spinner blades are generally intended to spin in a full 360° circle when the lure is pulled through the water, the rattle body blade is restricted in its motion. Thus, while the rattle body generates noise, the restricted motion of the rattle body decreases the degree of flash produced by the moving blade and likely attenuates the amount of vibration and lure “action” that is generated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,612, issued on Oct. 18, 1994 to S. Smith, discloses a spinner fishing lure having an extension to the typical “V” shaped wire spinner blade holder that allows two spinner blades to be attached in a vertical plane above the weighted body of the lure. The spinner blades are arranged so that as they spin, the blades periodically strike one another to produce a noise. While the twin-blade arrangement creates nose to attract fish, this lure does not depart from the traditional spinnerbait lure with a “V” shaped spinner blade holder in a manner to increase the vibration and overall “action” generated by the lure. Additionally, the vertical extension of the wire holding the spinner blades is likely to increase line. entanglements as the lure is cast.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,734,883, issued on Nov. 5, 1929 to J. P. Shannon, discloses a fishing lure that has two spinner blades, positioned side-by-side in a horizontal plane above a weighted lure body. The spinner blades are held in position by a “V”-shaped yoke that is attached to a wire extending from the front of the weighted body. The primary purpose of this arrangement appears to be to position the spinner blades away from the hook, so that the spinner blades don't interfere with hooking fish. The blades are not disposed in a manner to create noise or to increase vibration and action of the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,750, issued on Aug. 24, 1964 to J. M. Shannon, illustrates a twin-bladed fishing lure that is similar to the J. P. Shannon lure discussed above, but uses an alternative method of attaching the “V”-shaped yoke. The subject of the J. M. Shannon patent is a uniquely shaped spinner blade intended to produce increased vibration.
Buzzbait fishing lures are also well known to sport fishermen. Buzzbait lures typically have a configuration similar to spinnerbait lures, but use rotating “propeller-like” blades instead of the spinner blades. Unlike spinnerbait lures, where the spinner blades are usually located above the lure's weighted body, the rotating blades of a buzzbait lure are typically located ahead of the lure's weighted body. As with spinnerbait lures, buzzbaits often use only a single blade. Double-bladed buzzbaits may use two blades in-line or side-by-side. An example of a buzzbait lure is the audible fishing lure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,501, issued on Apr. 25, 1989 to C. Standish Jr. The lure uses a pair of rotating blades, trailed side-by-side from an upright “V”-shaped support. The rotating blades are disposed so that they make contact as they rotate, producing a noise.
As demonstrated by the volume of patents issued for fishing lures, no single lure has been developed yet which combines the appropriate combination of features in terms of visual features, vibration, movement, and sound satisfactory for fishing. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a fishing lure solving the aforementioned problems is desired.